Legacy of Light: University Settlement 1886-2011
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Legacy OF LIGHT University Settlement Society of New York 184 Eldridge Street, New York, NY 10002 University Settlement: 1886–2011 A History of Social Change Find us online at UniversitySettlement.org, facebook.com/UniversitySettlement and at twitter.com/UnivSettlement 2 3 © 2012 University Settlement Photo credits: Cover and page 16: Andy Mars / Professional Women Photographers Page 28: Sean Sime Design: Tessa Zilla 4 5 Preface University Settlement is America’s first social settlement house, and the second in the world, first opening its doors to the low-income and immigrant population in the Low- er East Side of Manhattan in 1886. Today the organization serves more than 25,000 people at 21 sites throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn with a range of services includ- ing early childhood education and support for new par- ents, after-school programs, language classes, eviction prevention services, mental health support, services for older adults, arts programming and more. The following pages detail the history of Univer- sity Settlement’s first 125 years, from 1886 to 2011. The first section was written by the current Chief Executive Officer, Michael H. Zisser, who has held this position since 1988. The second section - University Settlement’s First Century - was written by historian and longtime Settle- ment supporter Jeffrey Scheuer and originally published in 1986. While the neighborhoods University Settlement serves, languages it hears and faces it sees have changed many times in the past 125 years, the spirit of what the Settlement does remains the same: to work with people as they make their way to a better life and create a stronger, more vibrant community. 6 1 LEGACY OF LIGHT: University Settlement’s Second Century 2 3 UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT ’ S SECOND CENTURY Legacy of Light: University Settlement’s in charitable giving – again benefitting the Settlement’s Second Century expanded activities. But several forces have worked in opposition to this growth. Periodic fiscal crises have created damaging Originally published in 1986, Legacy of Light beautifully downturns in the economy, which always affect lower described the history of the Settlement’s first 100 years income families far more dramatically than families within the social context that affected and was affected with more resources. Many areas of the country have by the Settlement’s involvement with the City and larger become increasingly fiscally conservative, one result of society. University Settlement and the settlement move- which is that downsizing resources for publically support- ment were powerful forces during the Progressive Era, ed programs has become a powerful rallying message. during the critical years framed by the two World Wars, The progress made in tackling critical social issues may and throughout the formation of the Great Society and suffer national setbacks if an appropriate balance of War on Poverty era. resources and government investments is not resolved. What has been the context of the past twenty-five The larger context has NOT changed in two impor- years, and what can we expect next? tant matters. First, more than at any point in the country’s While University Settlement’s mission has remained history, this is a nation of immigrants. University Settlement the same, the past twenty-five years have seen a shift began in the golden age of immigration in the late 19th in the context in which we operate. There has been century, but in fact a greater percentage of our popu- a dramatic increase in the number and scale of lation today is represented by first and second genera- programs sponsored by the public sector – either as tion immigrants. Second, there is not as yet full equality entitlement programs or as targeted programs serving in how voices are weighted on key questions affecting a particular need or population. A more engaged our local and national communities. Advocacy with and government, irrespective of political orientation, has on behalf of those whose voices need to be heard with led to a sizeable expansion of the role and finan- greater prominence has always been and will continue cial capacity of the non-profit sector. University to be part of University Settlement’s mission. Settlement, and the communities we serve, have The story of the past twenty-five years is one of trans- benefitted from this growth in the public sector formation and reaffirmation. It is the story of a neighbor- in many areas. The country has also generated hood comeback through community activism and the increased wealth for many individuals and corpora- partnership of many across the public and private sec- tions, which in turn has led to substantial increases tors. It is also the story of an organization that embodies 4 5 UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT ’ S SECOND CENTURY UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT ’ S SECOND CENTURY strength and stability, agility and flexibility – qualities that these abandoned buildings were steadily deteriorating have shepherded the Settlement’s transition from a 19th at the same time that land speculators were preparing century model into a 21st century institution. to acquire them for future re-development. But there were also powerful, committed, and cre- ative forces of renewal beginning to emerge. Commu- A Neighborhood and Settlement in Transition: nity activists were reclaiming the streets and parks from 1986-1996, A Period of Rebuilding and Reaffirmation the dealers and vagrants; housing activists were working to renovate and repair old buildings or planning for con- struction of new subsidized and supportive housing; and The Lower East Side has been a place of continuous social activists were fighting for the preservation and ex- change since it first became a home to new immigrants pansion of vital social service, educational and cultural arriving in the United States in the 19th century. In 1986, programs critical to a healthy community. University Settlement had served the community through University Settlement and its families directly felt and 100 years of shifting demographics, changing cultures, witnessed the negative forces affecting the community, and the continuous presence of challenging social but also understood the necessity of building upon the needs. The first decade of our second century was to be underlying strengths of the community. Our collective a critical time of transition for both the Settlement and response was to aggressively pursue a renewed vision the community. of the Settlement and an expanded engagement with A variety of social issues were having a strong impact local residents. The period from 1986 -1996 became the on community residents and on the institutions working decade of rebuilding and reaffirmation of the Settle- with the community. Criminal activities and drug use ment’s role and the Settlement tradition. were spreading major negative effects across the city, Fighting to protect quality of life and strengthening and certainly on the Lower East Side. Many of our street the community were top priorities. Two illustrative exam- corners and parks served as meeting points for drug ples best describe this strategy. Project Home was es- dealers and prostitutes. Teenage gangs, representing all tablished in 1986, designed to provide support services the local nationalities, were actively fighting each other to families moving from homelessness into new housing and intimidating local residents. Bricked up abandoned provided either by the New York City Housing Author- buildings, including a few on Eldridge Street, were home ity (NYCHA) or non-profit providers. Project Home staff to dealers selling their merchandise through holes in the worked in collaboration with these housing develop- cinder-block facades. And perhaps most troublesome, ers, efficiently providing diverse social service expertise 6 7 UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT ’ S SECOND CENTURY UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT ’ S SECOND CENTURY and enabling developers to do what they do best, i.e. who needed help, and working with the police to un- build new or renovate old units for use by lower income cover and challenge crime. In some cases, our staff were individuals and families. Utilizing Project Home as the threatened or even harmed, but ultimately we were common service provider enabled developers to avoid successful. Our pre-school continued to use the park creating redundant and inefficient service operations throughout this difficult period, an important demonstra- with each new building. Our staff helped fill and stabilize tion of our commitment. This important work reinforced NYCHA developments — including one right here on El- the Settlement’s historic connection to the City’s open dridge Street that the Settlement had been working on space movement and the work of Charles Stover, an for almost twenty years — as well as more than a dozen early Settlement leader, at the turn of the 20th century. projects across the community. In addition, Project Home Roosevelt Park has since been beautifully redesigned continued the Settlement’s historic tradition of advoca- from end to end, and has become a dynamic and vital cy and empowerment, bringing the community togeth- focal point for the incredibly diverse populations living er to fight for the rights of immigrants and low-income around it. tenants, and providing them with the tools they needed Rebuilding University Settlement’s historic home at to continue advocating for themselves. 184 Eldridge Street became another important priority. Project Home is still flourishing, now focusing on issues Placed on the National Register in 1986, but in need of such as preventing tenant evictions (caused, in part, substantial work if it was to continue serving the com- by gentrification or intense land speculation), protect- munity, this incredible building deserved our loyalty and ing immigrants’ rights, mitigating the effects of domestic attention. Many people recommended selling the prop- violence, securing access for individuals and families to erty and moving to a smaller more modern site – but the public benefits, providing assistance in finding employ- decision was made to do what was necessary to pre- ment opportunities, and other needs as they arise.